Taking that very first step, to let go, translated…
During supper, my five-year-old daughter told us suddenly, that she’d wanted the training wheels removed off her bicycle. I was stunned, then, I’d asked, “Completely? Or, just one side first?”, “I don’t want the training wheels, both sides off!” My daughter was too persistent, said that there was a classmate who was riding without their training wheels already, that he’d ridden very fast, looked awesome!
I’m not sure, if her wanting to remove her training wheels was to get with her peers, or if it’s her way of showing off her abilities, but, I’d already started, contemplating, on how to teach her to maintain her balance on the bicycles.
Before we went to bed, my husband took the wrench, and, quickly, removed the training wheels off, then, checked the chains, as well as the other screws, and made sure, that nothing would malfunction, after our daughter started riding on it.
The following afternoon, as my daughter got home from school, she’d begged me to take her to the park to ride. She’d excitedly, walked alongside her bicycle, and, stood firmly, on a path, there was no obstacles on this course, the tiles, very evenly paved, even the leaves were swept away by the park maintenance personnel, it’s very, sturdy, but, I still worried, told her not to ride so fast, that I will be behind her, steadying her.
Out of my expectation, my daughter turned down my offer to help, she’d stated, “I can ride on my own!”, then, used her own methods, stepped on the pedal with her right foot. As I was planning to approach her, tell her to not fear, the very next second, she’d, flew forward on her bicycle.
There was no time for me to react, my legs started running without me telling them to, followed behind my child, faster, and faster. We’d only bought this bicycle for her just last year, and this year, she could already, ride without the training wheels, but, it felt like it wasn’t, last year, but yesterday.
But why so fast? How can a child grow up so fast?
I’d started jogging a little, seeing how my daughter became a bit, unsteady, I knew, she was, about, to fall down! As I was about to run over to grab her, she’d, extended her legs out, to steady her own titled body already. My heart raced so fast, worried she might fall off her bicycle, and even if it was just a scratch on her, I’d, felt hurt for her, but apparently, she was, very brave and worked hard, like she was, already, ready to, withstand ALL the hurt and the pains that comes with riding her two-wheel bicycle.
As she rode to the end of the passage, she’d looked back toward me excitedly, smiled, and told me, “look mommy, I can ride!”
“You’re so amazing!”, I’d given her a praise, at the same time, reminded her, to stay in my field of vision, but, don’t know if she’d, heard me, she’d turned the bicycle around, and started riding it again.
to this…photo from online…
And this time, I didn’t, run after her. My eyes shifted to the other mothers who were watching over their young, as they played on the slides and the swing sets. As mothers, we seemed to know, that children from other families are, going through some sort of a phase, then, we all, sat together, underneath the shades of the trees together.
One of these days, the parents’ incessant words will come off, like those, training wheels, I suppose. If the kids are to move forward, to rely on themselves, to do everything, but, without any idea, of how much worries we have, over them. By that time, we, as parents, can only stand still where we are, and until they’re tired, and just, offer them a towel, to dry off their sweat, and cook for them, that, is all that we, parents can do.
One of these days, we will be so old we can’t even, stand still at that spot, by then, we will be glad, that we had, helped our children, take off their training wheels. Just like now, as I watched with happiness, my daughter, riding her bicycle, her way, without her training wheels on.
So, this, is on parents letting go of their young, and it starts somewhere small like taking the training wheels off a bicycle that your child rides, and slowly, before you know it, they will be, even MORE independent, and, we, as parents (not that I’m one or anything like that!!!) will be prepared, to let go of them, and let them fly high!